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Lexington Community Church to present unique drama

The main character in 'U Matter' at Lexington Community Church, portrayed by Kina Motsinger (left), dances to the 'Tennessee Waltz' as she reminisces about the man who brought her to an insignificant town. The woman who took him away, portrayed by Joy Brindle, also grips the broom as mist flows during a rehearsal scene.

Published: Friday, November 29, 2013 at 1:52 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 29, 2013 at 1:52 p.m.

The main character in 'U Matter' at Lexington Community Church, portrayed by Kina Motsinger (left), dances to the 'Tennessee Waltz' as she reminisces about the man who brought her to an insignificant town. The woman who took him away, portrayed by Joy Brindle, also grips the broom as mist flows during a rehearsal scene.

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Facts

Christmas production

Lexington Community Church will have three presentations of its Christmas production at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14; and at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Dec. 15. The church meets at the Sam Vance Auditorium at American Children's Home, located at 3844 N.C. Highway 8. The event is free and open to the public

That's why its Christmas productions are unique.

"I guess it comes right from God," says senior pastor Eric Disher, who co-founded the church along with his family 16 years ago. "There are a lot of people in our church who are drawn to the arts, whether it be in dance, drama or music."

When it comes time for planning, the ideas begin to flow, he says.

Some 40 parishioners are involved in this year's presentation, "U Matter" — dancers, musicians, singers, actors, technicians, nursery workers and greeters — that is designed to inspire hope for those who feel hopeless and significance to those who feel insignificant, says Jackie Disher, wife of the pastor and director of creative arts.

"Every year we do something unique," she says. "This year we're trying to show that every person makes a difference. Every person has an impact on other people."

The church's missionaries appear in various forms as characters in the drama. Some of them will appear as silhouettes with voices spoken by members of the cast. The mission couple in Jerusalem actually sent back a DVD that will be shown on screen.

They will speak to a person who represents anyone, anywhere who feels insignificant, telling them they had an impact on their lives.

In addition to the married couple in Jerusalem, the church also supports a missionary in the Philippines; the great-grandson of Geronimo, who is chief of the Apache Nation and lives on the Jicarilla reservation in Dulce, N.M.; and Lexington couple Brian and Linda Riffe, who are stationed in Germany.

Jackie Disher notes that the church's productions are always meant to be true-to-life situations.

The main character represents a waitress who feels unimportant.

Last Christmas the production focused on a sports bar. In one booth sat non-believers and in the other, believers.

"In the end, there was one believer and one nonbeliever left," she explains. "The point was sometimes nonbelievers can be difficult to deal with, and sometimes believers can be difficult to deal with."

And in the end, by design there was no resolution, she added, because often there is no resolution in life.

By Eric Disher's count, this will be the fifth original holiday production at the church.

"It's a team effort," he says. "We sit down with about eight people and start to hammer it out."

"We started working on it in June," Jackie Disher says. "We'll start working on the one for Easter as soon as this one is over."

Lexington Community Church is nondenominational and offers a contemporary worship service. The church started here at the J. Smith Young YMCA. It now meets at the Sam Vance Auditorium at the American Children's Home, with a congregation of about 400.

The Dishers served with United Church of Christ churches for about nine years, including stints in Landis and Whitsett.

Eric Disher is a Lexington native who grew up in Second UCC.

The Dishers stake claim to LCC being the area's first church with a contemporary worship. It was founded by the couple and their daughters, Ashley Godley, who is the youth pastor, and Lydia Disher, who is the creative arts pastor.

"We have a mixture of younger and older people," Eric Disher says. "We get the benefit of the young people's energy and older ones' wisdom."

There will be three presentations of the production at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14 and at 9 and 11 a.m. Dec. 15.

The event is free and open to the public. "Everybody will leave with something in their hands," Jackie Disher promises.

Dwight Davis can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 226 or at dwight.davis@the-dispatch.com.

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